Loose-leaf binder.



J. 0. DAWSON. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

' 7 APPLICATION FILED MAI i. 29, 1907. 901,076. J

Patented Oct. 13,1908.

Egzfl v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. DAWSON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO SIEBER & TRUSSELL MN'FG. 00.,

A CORPORATION OFMISSOURI.

- LOOSEJEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

' Patented Oct. 13, 190s.

Application filed March 29, 1907. Serial no, 365,214.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES C. DAWSON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have, invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders provided with mating dprongs or arch memers pivotally mounte to .a back plate, its

object bein to generally-improve the con: struction of devices of this'character, and consisting of the structure and details hereinafter described and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail plan view of the binder when open; Fi 2 is a detail section thereof, showing one 0 the arches in elevation and closed; Fi 3 is a similar section on an enlarged sca e, the arch bein shown in open position; Fi 4 is a detail ongitudinal section of the ack of the binder taken trans-- versely through one of the arches; and Fig. 5 is a detail plan of one of the arches closed, showing a modified form of construction.

The binder is usually provided with a pair of side plates 10, 11, hinged to a back 12, which in the present instance is shown as beingrovided with a longitudinal filler block 13 or supportin the arches. The arches may be of any esired number, two being shown, and are of that form which comprises a pair of mating members approximately semi-circular in form and whic are pivoted' to 'theback adjacent their inner ends.

As affording a convenient and secure means for mounting the prongs, there is provided a metal late 14, bent to form side walls 15, 16,

throug which the pivots 17, 18, for carrying upon theouft'er surface 0 the prong members 19, 20, may be set. The

filleri block 13 is recessed for receivmlg this bentilplate, as more fplainlyaziiown inand e outer ends 0 the are bent down the filler'block, as p shown at 21, 22, and are secured thereto by means of screws 23, 24, or their equivalent.

The inner ends of the arch members 19 20,

interlock by aform of loose mortise and tenon joint, as shown at 25, so that they necessarily move together, gage either by a mortise and. tenon joint, as shown at 26 m Fig. 5, or by a hook form of joint 27, as shown in Fig. 1. -Wherl the former joint is employed, the tenon should fitti htly within the mortise in order to frictional y'hold the arch closed. When the hook form of j oint is employed, the extreme end of each arch is flattened, as shown at 28, to abut against a correspondingly-shaped shoulder formed upon the companion-arch member, thereby preventing the two members from being accidentally forced past each other beyond the engaging position.

A spring 29 1s proyided for spreading each arch, and consists of an elastic plate resting upon the pivots 17, 18, and bowin downwardly, and being slotted from its en s to accommodate the arch members, the inner ends- I of whlch bear upon its upper face. The tendency of this sprln plate to straighten itself urges. the inner en s of the arch members upwardly, and CODSGqVIIIZDtlY tends to se arate their outer ends. e application 0 pres-.- sure to the arch members to bring their outer ends together tends to bow the spring plate.

I claim as my invention In a loose leaf cessed back, a pair of pivots fixed withinthe recess and 'disposed longitudinally as to the back, a air of v pivots, and a spring mountupon the pivots and bearing1 upwardly against the inner ends of the are members and having down-turned lugs for engaging the bottom of the recess when the" arch members are closed. 4 7

JAMES C. DAWSON. Witnesses:

. LOUIS K. GILLsoN,

CHARLES B; GILLBON.

binder, in combination, a reand their outer ends interenarch members mounted one v u on eac ofthe 

